Thread: 725k grasshopper or scagg cheeta?

Hey guys im torn between the two mowers. Im from sw va with sometimes very hilly and always bumpy terrain. I now own a grasshopper 428d midmount and shes gettn tired. If i go with the 725k front deck i will go w the kubota diesel of course and scagg with kawasaki.. Any thoughts or input will be appreciated! Thanks Chris

Ive heard front mounts are not so great on hills. I have the GH 327 efi mid mount and love it. Id check out a GH 325d if you want a diesel or if gas then the 327. Ive not used a scag so i cant speak on behave of them, but i can say im very happy with my GH.

Thanks Braves17 for your input... The grasshopper demo guy says if im in hilly terrain that the front deck is what i want hands down.i dont see it hanging a hill like my midmaunt either.. I forgot to mention that i had my mind made up to get the 725k but our nearest dealer kept taking phone calls while we were talking then finally left me hanging. Went to the parts counter got some parts for 428d and still no salesman. Drove two hrs to go to this dealer and they cant take 5 mins to talk serious with me.This is why scag is on the brain.

I think that all the dealers are trying to push front mounts because that's what mine did as well. My dealer wasted 3 hours with me until I decided what I wanted haha so he's a bit nicer than yours. I'd maybe travel a little and find a different dealer? I just really like GH so I'd like to see you stay with them!Posted via Mobile Device

A Grasshopper front mount will almost always hold hills better than any midmount. I ran Grasshoppers for many years, and later became a Grasshopper dealer. Grasshopper has a weight transfer system on front deck units that transfers deck weight directly to the drive wheels. They also have a very low center of gravity. They stick to hillsides like glue.
Get a demo on one. I am pretty sure you will be impressed.

So do you agree that grasshopper front mount will hold hills better than the mid mount?

\\better weight distribution, more leverage and control of the biggest piece of dead weight (the deck) and more even contact with the ground? Yes.

Plus you also have to understand your dealer is thinking "hilly" as in ups and downs (undulation) of the lawn.
Inconsistent changes in declination, sharp dips and rolling turf are the domain of an outfront deck.

mid mounts got popular because they used to be cheaper, for a decade or so they were, now…not so much.

Mid mounts, by design are the worst at hill stability and cutting uneven terrain, that's just not where their strengths lie. It's not that they CAN't do it, just when compared to other options, it's where they do the worst comparatively.

the thing about a mid mount is they are very user friendly (which is why the homeowners have al caught on to them) especially when compared to a Walk behind or even a stander.
So guys THINK they are doing better or have more capability on them because they are easier to get used to and master.

If you have 40% mastery of a front mount that has an 80% design capacity for the work you are doing… your average success rate is 60%.
If you have an 80% mastery of a mid mount that has a 50% design capacity for the work you are doing, then your average success rate is 65%, giving the Illusion the mid mount is "better".
When in reality you are just better at improvising with it.

When 'pulling' something off, compared to just doing 'regular' tasks, confidence and comfortability are the major factors in success.

So back to the numbers… 80% mastery on a 50% designed machine with 100% confidence (even if it's foolish confidence) gives you an 86% success rate.

80% mastery on an 80% design machine with only 50% confidence gives you 70% success rate… EVEN tho you are equally good at operating both machines, and the one machine is better designed for the task… it has a lower success rate because you believe in your self higher on the other machine.

If you don't know what Im talking about… you have to watch backcountry snowmobiling and you'll get an understanding quickly. Don't just watch pro videos, most of those guys have the same level of expertise and confidence and the only difference between their success is a slight difference in power, weight and machine options.
Like skiing, you will see a lot of kids (who have higher confidence, even tho it's foolish and misplaced) succeed at things their adult counterparts cannot, mostly because they know better not to try that in the first place….

it all really comes down to (in the end) what you LIKE better and what FEELS better , to YOU, personally, because you will have the highest level of mastery and confidence with it.
BUT if you are trying to get better than yourself…. and you are already maxed out with mastery and confidence… the only direction to go, is better gear.

Now that's an in depth answer! Hahaha thanks both of you for your comments. I think I will go front mount and keep my 428d for help to ride and be happy with it. These grasshoppers are defiantly tough as nails! Never seen any other mower with the hours that you can get with a ghopper either. Guess I really knew what I wanted already just needed a lil nudge.Thanks guys